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Cafe Con Leche
Categories: Restaurants Latin American Restaurants Cuban Latin American, Cuban [Edit]
424 Amsterdam AveSte 1
(between 80th St & 81st St)
New York, NY 10024
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
(212) 595-7000
- Nearest Transit:
-
79 St (1, 2)
86 St (1, 2)
81 St - Museum of Natural History (A, B, C)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri, Sun 9:30 am - 11 pm
Sat 9:30 am - 12 am
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
126 reviews for Cafe Con Leche
Review Highlights
"The garlic sauce always brings me back."
(in 15 reviews)
"Yellow rice and black beans are also solid."
(in 4 reviews)
"...tostones were great and the ropa vieja was pretty darn good..."
(in 7 reviews)
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126 reviews in English
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Review from Scott F.
Manhattan, NY
2/7/2012
If you're in the mood for Cuban, than this definitely a good local restaurant.
My girlfriend and I came here for a quick lunch and we were quite pleased with what we found. The servers were very attentive and the food was also good. Not a top notch place for Manhattan, but certainly a good local one.
Starting with the weakest portion of the meal, the rice and beans (yellow & black) were a little on the dry side, though there was definitely decent flavor. I had the Picadillo (shredded beef) which was very good, definitely 4 stars. It was filled with juicy beef flavors along with peas, corn, onions, and oil. I definitely recommend it to anyone else. My girlfriend had the cod in oil which was also good, at least a 3.5 rating. It may have been fried a bit too long, thus resulting in a slightly soggy piece, but the flavor was definitely good. I would recommend this dish as well.
Overall, this is definitely a good place to go to for a good meal. Definitely recommend it! -
Review from Angelo G.
Manhattan, NY
12/26/2011
I think with two stars I'm being pretty generous... Cuban sandwich was not good. Meat was super dry, bread was mushy, taste was not good.
Pork stew: the meat was chewy barely edible.
Service was quite pore too.
not going back for sure -
Review from Ann K.
New York, NY
Yum!
Decided to come into Cafe Con Leche after wandering around looking for a good place to have Sunday brunch.
Ordered the Cuban style eggs benedict. It had generous portions of sliced pork. The calamari and avocado shrimp salad was also good.
I will be back to try the pernil here. -
Review from Katherine D.
Manhattan, NY
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
The most amazing Dominican breakfast on the uws. I have been searching for a Spanish place to get Dominican breakfast and I have finally found it. I'm only judging this place on their Dominican breakfast because I was so exited when I saw it on the menu I did not care about anything else. It was excellent! I recommend it.
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Review from Rachel T.
Manhattan, NY
1/31/2012
I absolutely love this place! The garlic sauce with the bread is fantastic. As someone who grew up eating Cuban food I have gone here multiple times for an authentic experience with bold and traditional cuban flavors. The shrimp flavored in a spicy sauce is incredible as are all the appetizers including the tostones and yuca. I love the sangria too- great place to go with friends for a casual dinner out!
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Review from Rey M.
Clifton, NJ
1/29/2012
The food was dry, the service stunk. It would only have given it one star, but the drinks were good. In this area of great places to eat, they really need to step their game up. Also they need an electrician because ever 5 minutes are so the lights kept dimming out.
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Review from Lavender B.
New York, NY
11/13/2011
I love this place and go all the time. Brunch is delicious - love the huevos rancheros. The garlic sauce is yum and they make fun drinks (pina coladas, mango shakes, etc.) Staff is friendly too.
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Review from Gisselle P.
Brooklyn, NY
9/29/2011
I w ill NEVER come back here for their food..... The cafe con leche was great!... service was horrible...... and I also tried their mofongo.......and I must say, I am not a fan........
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Review from Pinky and the B.
New York, NY
4/6/2011
We used to go here a lot until we discovered Malecon. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
On the side of the page of Yelp the other restaurants that come up are Flor De Mayo http://www.yelp.com/bi...
and La Caridid that I have also been to both of them quite a few times. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
For Latin food Cafe Con Leche is okay. But I prefer Malecon. Cafe Con Leche is a little more Americanized and geared towards American tastes. That is my take on it anyway.
Cafe Con Leche did not used to have have Mofongo, Malecon does. It does now but also has many Americanized dishes. There is nothing on the menu that I can't make at home.
Other wise it is okay there is nothing wrong with it. But I would not go out of my way to eat here. -
Review from mollusk h.
New York, NY
11/1/2011
good solid food at an affordable price and nice ambiance. this is not something i've become accustomed to while working on the upper west side.
the staff was friendly, the food was tasty and i didn't feel like i was eating at some place my grandmother would frequent. -
Review from Lloyd G.
New Rochelle, NY
10/31/2011
I'll start out by saying that I would have given this place 3 stars because while I didn't really care for my food, my girlfriend enjoyed hers... but, the Yelp description for 3 stars is "A-Ok" while 2 is "Meh, I've experienced better," and although my experience was not as great as hers, we both agree that we've had better food and service.
Ok, so we stumbled across this place Sunday morning while looking for a spot to have brunch because our original destination (calle ocho) didn't work out (new location seemed like a PITA). we weren't necessarily looking for Latin food, but at first glance, the interesting menu and prices looked good enough to draw us in... plus it was effing cold out!
The place is pretty small, so you can expect people to be in on your conversation, and for the staff to bump into you at times, but that's to be expected in NYC i think. and in no affects my rating; i just wanted others who hate places like that to be aware.
I ordered the Eggs in a Hole (two eggs over easy served with grilled bread and corned beef potatoes) mainly because it came with a mimosa, she ordered the Venezuelan Pericos (scrambled eggs with green peppers, tomatoes, and onions) with a side of Mangu.
Her food was MUCH better than mine... the Mangu was great, the eggs were perfect and for some reason they also added an Arepa (that wasn't included as part of the meal on the menu, but was pretty delicious).
On the other hand... my food was cold and sorta gross... my eggs in a hole were simple toast with a hole for eggs (yeah, i know that's what it is, but it still sucked) and the corned beef potatoes, were not at all the sophisticated corned beef hash that i was expecting, but instead a side of thick sliced corned beef (w. no potatoes) and worst of all, the waiter forgot my mimosa! *that right there is enough to drop this rating down to 1 star. When we asked about the potatoes, he said that they gave me a side of fried plantain and wouldn't charge me for it .. that's great an all, but that's not what i ordered or expected. he eventually got me some potatoes, but they were also cold and pretty terrible.
long story short, i would only go back to this place if my girlfriend really wanted to, but next time i might try harder to convince her to stand in the long line for "Good Enough to Eat" instead. -
Review from Andrew F.
Cambridge, MA
10/20/2011
Gone so far downhill since the last time I ate here a couple of years back. New ownership, I hear. This place used to be terrific.
Simple: everything we had was served cold and congealed, on a quiet tuesday night with only a few tables occupied. Even the rice and beans had sat around too long and become a gray mush. The mezclado appetizer plate, once glorious, has become inedible (you ever eat cold tostones?).
You can do so much better with this same cuisine in the neighborhood. -
Review from Kristin C.
New York, NY
11/26/2010
I've been coming here on an off for years. And the last time I brought a colleague who was just off a long flight and getting over a cold. I figured the yummy comfort food would cheer him.
And it did. Cafe con Leche is the perfect little hole in the wall that offers fuss free Cuban food (in large quantities), quite cheaply. They have that yummy traditional Cuban, buttered bread that's been pressed and is warm and crunchy on the outside. I could eat my weight in this stuff...paired quite well with the orange sauce put on the table (creamy with a nice kick, but not overwhelmingly spicy).
And like the restaurant, I am simple too. I always get the roast pork (pernil...and there's another word in the item title, but I'm forgetting. It could be "asado," but I don't think that's it). I get a massive amount of succulent, moist, roast pork with a salad and the obligatory side of black beans and yellow rice (though you can choose plantains, which are also yummy). Everything is packed with flavor, despite the dish being uncomplicated and simple.
I've had other things on occasion...random appetizers (the mofongo is quite yummy), bites from the plates of friends (seafood dishes are good here too as well as dishes with chorizo), and a flan that it simply too good for words. And don't forget the drinks either. The mojitos are good and strong (and as a bonus for me, you can get them made light on the sugar...and they make them with homemade simple syrup, I think). There's a happy hour until around 7:00 pm, I believe, with two for one drinks. And the namesake cafe con leche is divine.
Clearly cheap and yummy...and there's a reason I've kept coming back over the years! -
Review from Adam P.
Nashville, TN
1/22/2011
I spent 7 of some of the best years of my life in NYC and Cafe con Leche is definitely a part of that time. In a city with tons of great coffee, this was hands down my favorite cup. Get a cafe con leche here and you won't be disappointed.
The food is also great. If you like pork, any of their pernil dishes are great and the cuban sandwich is fantastic. And it will be tough to find a better bowl of black bean soup anywhere. Overall, a great place to have a fantastic and well-priced meal.
Also, a must have is their hot sauce. They serve it with toasted bread and that could be a great meal in and of itself! Careful, it'll sneak up on you, but it's one of those hot sauces that is so good you don't care if you start sweating, you'll keep putting it on everything!
It's one of those friendly places where they'll remember you too. Very friendly staff who even invited us to their private Xmas party one year. Man what I wouldn't do for a cup of their coffee right now! -
Review from Marc P.
Manhattan, NY
3/16/2011 1 photo
I like this as standard cuban / carribean food, but the space is a bit cramped and the wait staff can be gruff New York.
The coffee is excellent. -
Review from Megan C.
Brooklyn, NY
9/22/2010 1 Check-in Here
Mmmm... White sauce on toasted garlic bread? I am in love!
So, I had had multiple Cafe con Leche on 96th street experiences. And by many, I mean weekly for a few months. When I realized they had this other location, wer thought to try it out and low and behold... EVEN BETTER. Why? The toasted garlic bread. It is to die for and only served (as I later learned) during dinner at the 96th St. location. Not so at 79th. Oh no, not so at all...
As for entrees, the lime garlic chicken is fantastic. The mango chicken is solid, but not something to swoon over. They ahd a special salmon with avacado once (and hopefully more often) that is also moan worthy. The plantains are great (both the sweet and salty), but the rice and beans are fairly standard.
So.... you are probably thinking, "If you love this place so much, why aren't you giving it five stars??" The reason is simple. The wait staff. The bartender/take out guy is fantastic, but otherwise, the service here is dreadful.
Now go carb overload if you can get the waitress' attention. I find arm flailing highly effective. -
Review from Mike N.
Astoria, NY
1/3/2011 2 photos
Jesus es mi hermano!!!
ok I think I said that right..oh well
Hollowed out coconuts and pineapples! check
awesome coconut mojiotos! check
best chips and salsa! check
letting a group of misfits take over your bar! check
Even on a cold wintery day I felt like I took a trip to Havana sipping on delicious drinks and having a wonderful time..
Glad my friends stumbled on this unknown spot! -
Review from Kelle C.
Jersey City, NJ
1/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here on a rec from a friend and been thinking about it for days since. We were the only patrons on a snowy mid-week night, but huge amounts of food and very strong sangria kept us warm. Service was fast and polite, if not overly friendly.
Empanadas, mofongo, shrimp in coconut sauce, tilapia with shrimp and avocado - all delish. Sangria made me dance in my chair. I ordered white rice and wished i'd ordered yellow. She brought yellow rice. It was probably a mistake but I choose to think she's psychic.
The eclectic decor and slightly over-salted fish almost made this a 4 star, but a free refill of our 1/2 carafe of Sangria made that extra star happen. This will be my UWS go-to when I don't want to get fancy for Calle Ocho. -
Review from Jairo O.
New York, NY
2/27/2011
Went for brunch.
Ambiance was okay, great playlist and decor was nice. I though the place was a little dirty and definitely needed it a new paint job. Waitress wasnt that happy to be there. I had the Huevos rancheros. Good food. Potatos were great. Overall, it's nice for a quick meal, but nothing too fancy. No wait time, so that was great! -
Review from Ebony C.
11/6/2010
As a lover of Hispanic food this place made me ache b/c every thing taste so darn good.
Like most Hispanic places they love to throw carbs your way w/ their toasted buttered bread & the yummy white garlic sauce. It's hard to say no when the garlic is tickling your nose.
I took it to DR w/ my pastelon, Stuffed sweet plantain w/ ground beef. I haven't found this anywhere else that taste like it's suppose too. I was so happy w/ all those flavors dancing in my mouth. I added white rice & black beans ( yes, very Cuban of me) which was just as good. I topped it off w/ a cafe con leche at the end of the meal.
Overall the service wasn't bad, but they kept trying to get us to pay the check when the restaurant wasn't crowded. Definitely not use to that, but maybe we were just lingering way to long.
I will so be going back when I need a DR fix...Yum! -
Review from Miranda M.
Berkeley, CA
6/11/2010
Okay food, horrible service. Waitress messed up my order twice then tried to blame me that I pointed wrong? (Maybe there was a language barrier but I assumed that pointing could help that). I didn't want to waste the food and it was fine, others enjoyed theirs but it wasn't anything special. The consistently slow, unattentive, and uncaring service (waited 15 min with a cleared table but no check and chatting waitress) sort of ruined the food.
The ceviche special was good though! Wish it all hadn't gone downhill from there. -
Review from Fanny M.
Bronx, NY
1/18/2011
I went here for the Coffee, ended up ordering Hot Chocolate.
Me and my friend just wanted to sit and talk, and this place was great for that. It has a small little bar, I pay attention to decoration a lot and this place has a few weird art canvas on the wall, yet there are some that are pretty nice.
Overall a great relaxing place, they didn't rush us, we just wanted somewhere to sit and talk other then the regular coffee place like Starbucks or cup of Joe's. -
Review from Rachel J.
4/25/2010
I have been here multiple times and decided to return for a quick dinner before going out. I was impressed that, on a Saturday night at prime dinner time, I didn't have to wait for a table. The drink and dinner menus both have a lot to offer, but I have never been blown away.
We got margaritas - mango and strawberry - but they were either so weak or so well-mixed that we couldn't taste the alcohol. When we mentioned this to our waitress, she shrugged her shoulders (making me think she didn't give a crap) but then returned with a brimming shot for us to pour into our drinks free of charge.
The meal comes with a basket of crusty garlic bread with various dipping sauces, which went well with the sweet margaritas. Because we were in the mood for lighter fare, we decided against the standard rice-and-beans-plus-meat and tried their sandwiches instead. They were tasty and filling, but not outstanding. I had the breaded eggplant and swiss cheese sandwich on garlic bread, and my dining companion had the Cuban sandwich (ham, turkey, swiss, pickles, dressing).
Overall, the food was satisfying, but not spectacular. I was grateful that the waitress hooked us up with more tequila, but shouldn't margaritas come with a full shot...?? -
Review from Ki G.
4/1/2010
I fell in love yesterday.
No, not with the food here, but with my friend's little baby boy - an adorable munchkin who gurgled and laughed at me (story of my life) and confirmed that I am not a baba yaga*. His mom was in dire need of an evening out, so we went for a walk down to Amsterdam Ave and happened to stop at Cafe Con Leche.
I immediately liked the yellow framing around the windows, and the warm, almost tropical, feel inside. I'm not talking about the temperature folks, I meant the atmosphere. We were greeted with a smile and advised to sit anywhere we'd like.
It smelled good inside - lots of garlic in the air. I like garlic - it keeps the vampires away. But I digress. My friend and me were hungry, so we quickly perused the menu and decided to share the appetizer special of tostones with camarones and avocado. Those tostones were some of the best I've had in a long time. And I love my tostones. The camarones were cooked beautifully in a garlicky tomato sauce and the avocado was a nice complement.
However, my Filete De Pollo Al Limon was a little too salty and the chicken breast was a bit overdone. The yellow rice and black beans on the side were wonderful - and I was lucky to have them to help cut the salt from the main course.
My friend's tilapia was OK. And...that's it.
So - yay tostones! Meh, the mains.
Still, I would come back and try something else because I liked the ambiance, I liked the waitstaff (super friendly) and it's close to the munchkin.
A-OK
*http://en.wikipedia.or... -
Review from Scott R.
1/2/2007 ROTD 1/21/2007
I love Latin food. I once went through a couple month stretch where I ate more plantains than potatoes (think about it - that's hard to do). I made a tour bus stop in San Juan so I can get an empanada from a street vendor. I even made the pilgrimage to the Arepa Lady in Jackson Heights to try one of her arepas (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
So take my lack of objectivity (or abundance of partiality if you're a glass half full type) into account when reading the below:
The food here is very good. Service sucks and take out always takes a couple minutes longer than you'd think it should take. That's the only reason I can't give this place a 5th star....
You'll see frequent mention of hot sauce and garlic sauce in my review of various dishes. They provide both at the tables (or in the take out bag) and both are great. The hot sauce is somewhat self-explanatory - the garlic sauce is this creamy sauce that's as garlicky as any sauce I've ever had but is sooo good on roast pork....
Brunch
Nice chill mood. Rarely any type of line. Nice counterpoint to Sarabeth's across the street.
Cinnamon French Toast - Nicely done. They seem to use Italian bread and slice it fairly thin. The cinnamon and powdered sugar add sweetness but not too much. Despite the thin slices, there's enough on the plate to fill you up (note: two eggs can be added for $1. sometimes they'll throw in a free side like sweet plantains)
Eggs Benedict w/ Roast Pork or w/ Chorizo - Very good. Two differences from the standard eggs benedict: 1) A lot more meat. This dish has a ton of meat and 2) Instead of hollandaise sauce, you can use the hot and creamy garlic sauces. I found the hot sauce worked best. Throw in a side dish and charge $8.95 and it's a great value. Only eggs benedict I've had in NYC that is more satisfying is the one at Jane's (that includes Sarabeth's).
Huevos Rancheros - Tasty but note it's fried eggs not scrambled.
Apps
Black Bean Soup - They don't have this all the time but it's a good black bean soup. Needs a little hot sauce in it to wake it up.
Empanadas - They've got chicken, beef, and vegetable but run out sometimes. I like the chicken best. Not the BEST empanada I've ever had but it's not like I could pop into frigin' Zabar's or Fairway for one, you know?
Arepas de Yuca - These aren't like the Arepa sandwiches found in some Latin places or like the Mozzarepa which is a sweet corn/white cheese concoction found in NYC street fairs. These are like 5 corn meal discs. Pretty tasty but I recommend the empanadas over these.
Mofongo - Mashed plantains with crispy pork. I don't like it. Not a coincidence that the first four letters in this dish are Mofo.
Salads
Aguacate (Avocado) - Tasty. Good amount of avocado for the price.
Side Orders
Maduros (Sweet Plantains) - Very good. A bit greasier than Flor de Mayo's but still worth it in my book.
Sandwiches
Cubano - Good. I don't get it very often though b/c these give me serious food coma. It's common knowledge that Fidel and Che forbid consumption of this sandwich to prevent lethargy among the revolutionaries.
Pernll (Pork) - I like this one better than the Cubano. I douse it in the Garlic sauce and then add hot sauce. Given that the rest of my diet isn't too garlic heavy, it's always interesting to see how my body reacts to the garlic infusion. Well, for me anyway.
Pollo (Chicken) - Good choice if you want something less heavy than the cubano or pork. I add a good amount of hot sauce to it.
Rice Dishes
Two noteworthy items here:
1) They have paella for one here and it's only $14. What's w/ all the 2 person minimum bullshit on paella in this city? Is it that hard to create a single serving of paella? Can't they buy smaller pots?
2) They've got saffron rice dishes that allow you to stop short of a paella if you're not feeling up for a full seafood and meat medley. I like the chicken and chorizo version best (only $10!!!).
Chicken
Chicharron de Pollo (Fried Chicken) - Tasty stuff. But, really, when isn't fried chicken tasty.
Pollo a la Brasa - Good but I like Flor de Mayo's a bit better. The hot sauce goes pretty well with this.
Pork
Pernil Asado - This is just a big platter o' roast pork w/ some beans and rice on the side. I suggest the pork sandwich unless you've got some other conspirators - I love pork but by the end of this dish I get to thinking that Samuel L Jackson might've been right about swine in Pulp Fiction.
Beef
Picadillo - This is a chopped beef dish. It was good but I only consider it as part of the lunch special.
Ropa Vieja - Same goes for this.
Seafood
Shrimp in coconut or mango sauce - Good stuff. Mixing either of these sauces in w/ the rice. Mmm.
Desserts/Coffees
Rum cake - Eh.
Tropical Shakes - Pretty damn tasty.
Cafe con Leche - I'm not a big coffee fan but this was pretty tasty.Listed in: Latin Lover, Scott's UWS/Columbia Area…,
Only includes non-fried…">Chickentastic -
Review from Dan B.
Updated - 2/17/2010
I foolishly opted to give Cafe Con Leche another chance since their first ultimate screw-up debacle. I usually don't do this, but Cuban food is very scarce on the UWS and I NEED good Cuban food. I think from now on I'll be trying those Cuban/Chinese hybrid places because Cafe Con Leche is the farthest thing from a decent restaurant. It is hands down the worst restaurant I've ever been to. It has overpriced and tasteless food. We just ordered a nasty and soggy avocado salad for $7.25!! That's ridiculous!! There's about 20 cents of lettuce, 30 cents of tomato, and about a buck of avocado in there. It tasted terrible and they charged me at least 4 times more than that thing should have cost.
The Cuban Sandwich was easily the worst one I've had in my life. I've been having Cuban Sandwiches for 20 years in many cities and I have never tried such a failure. The pork on the sandwich is abnormally thick and greasy. It just doesn't taste authentic at all. My friend got the pernil sandwich and the pork was actually bland! Do you know how many pernil sandwiches I've had? I've never had one that's bland in my life! The entire point behind a pernil sandwich is to have it wet, flavorful, and tasting like mojo.
Whatever naivety led to this restaurant being rated so ludicrously high, I just want to let people know that there are actually places out there where Cuban is much cheaper and actually tastes unbelievable. It's called Miami. These dishonest prices and this dishonest food disgusts me. I'm not even going to try the restaurant they have next door: Tamarind, which is undoubtedly a wannabe Indian Restaurant just like Cafe Con Leche is a wannabe Cuban restaurant. The fact that this restaurant has lasted so long in New York freaking City, where consumers are supposed to demand quality like no where else, makes me think that a good deal of New Yorkers know nothing about Cuban food. If they like this garbage, then if I took them to LAC in Miami, they would go into a pleasure coma.
An additional piece of information: instead of delivering the aguacate (which in real Cuban restaurants is just sliced fresh avocado, olive oil, and salt, but here is a mixed green salad that has no taste whatsoever), they delivered us a giant chunk of mofongo. It looked like boliche. It was disgusting. I love mofongo, which is more of a Puerto Rican dish, and I knew immediately when looking at it that this was some sort of mutation of mofongo. Since everything else tasted terrible, I can only assume that the poor-looking mofongo is equally as bad as the rest of the menu.
Never ordering from them again! I feel too much shame from the fact that I've ordered from them twice already and had my money stolen from me twice. I will not give up on New York City. I know there has to be home-run Cuban in one of these 5 boroughs. This one is a pure disgrace. I've been to Flor de Mayo nearby on Amsterdam and although that too is not authentic, it is at least edible in comparison to this garbage. If you missed my original review, the rice and beans and cafe con leche are both living jokes.
Don't waste your time here. It's embarrassing to be seen at this restaurant. When you look in here, there are only wide-eyed naive yuppies dining here. That should be your first indication that you're getting garbage Latin food. It's not only the worst Latin food I've ever had, it's the worst food I've ever had period.Listed in: Scourges on Society
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/17/2010
This is anything but authentic Cuban. I wish this place didn't exist because it gives Cuban food a… Read more »
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Review from John N.
Forest Hills, NY
3/19/2009
MO-EFFIN-FONGO, bitches!!
Seriously, the mofongo at Cafe con Leche is slammin.
Now I know you're saying "John N, you're not basing your entire review on one really good side dish, are you?" And to that I say "hells yeah I am"! Well not really, I just wanted to say "hells yeah". The mofongo, while definitely slamified, is not the only thing that would bring me back to C con L.
The tostones were great and the ropa vieja was pretty darn good too.
Don't tell anyone else but I really liked the coconut mojito served in the hollowed out coconut shell. I know, I know it's an awfuly girly drink for a strapping guy like me to be seen drinking in public, but I liked it. What can I say. Let's keep that between us. -
Review from Angel K.
New York, NY
6/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cafe Con Leche was gooooooooood. The garlic sauce there is so freaking garlicy but beware, if you are on a first date dinner, stay away! Paella is overwhelming with seafood (lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams and scallops). The appetizer sampler was huge, tasty and the assortment was surprising. I def enjoyed the sangria, prices were decent and def eat up the basket garlic bread.
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Review from Gia V.
New York, NY
4/6/2009
Andre doesn't even like Spanish food, so for him to be coming here for 10+ years I knew the food had to be slamming.
We came here with our friends John N. and Jayne K. and John hits the pinata square in the face when he says it's all about the Mofonogo. Of course I wouldn't want to embarrass Andre in front of our very classy guests, but I contemplated pouring that tangy savory mofongo gravy right down into my belly -minus the mofongo. It's just that damn good.
Of course John and I can't agree on everything and I was mortified at the coconut mojito's served in real coconuts. Mostly because shaved coconuts are smooth and I'm ridiculously clumsy so I ended up looking like this to our friends:
http://cocoon.ifs.tuwi...
::Bows head in shame:: I'll be back here again but I think I'll just have some water........ in a glass por favor. -
Review from Chris H.
New York, NY
6/27/2007
This is less a tribute to the restaurant as it is a love poem to the only item on the menu I have ever ordered : pork chops marinated in garlic and lime with yellow rice and black beans.
Here it goes....
I have known other chops.
They have never transcended.
Juicy, porcine flesh that nurished
But did not inspire devotions.
How can a cut from the hock
Dressed to the 9s with limes
And cloves of garlic that rock
Make me shout and scream
My buds lost in a dream.
The rice and the beans
Compliment like a fawning teen. -
Review from April C.
New York, NY
2/5/2010
Just okay. I was actually sad after the meal. I felt like I wasted both my money and my calories on generic flavored, average food. bah humbug.
The plus side......awesome service. -
Review from Cheryl C.
Chicago, IL
7/26/2007
Kitsch? Hole in the wall? I'm not seeing it. I've got a pretty sensitive kitsch-o-meter, and I found the decor here bright and cheery. I came to this little UWS joint for brunch and got just as brunchified as I wanted to be. Hooray.
I couldn't go to a place called Cafe Con Leche without ordering the eponymous beverage, which turned out to be unsweetened (yay!) and highly potent on both the milk and the coffee scales. I also tried the guanabana juice, which is an unusual choice that I enjoyed, though I don't know if I could've drunk a whole glass.
I ordered the cinammon French toast, which was made with Cuban bread: soft, yellow, sesame-studded, and very tasty. The accompanying eggs were uninspiringly overdone and unseasoned, requiring a dose of hot sauce to make them palatable. I had a side order of sweet plantains, which were pretty good but not outstanding. My brunch date had Cuban eggs benedict with pork, which was one of the more flavorful heart attacks-on-a-plate I've experienced in recent memory.
Not quite a destination spot, but quite a serviceable alternative to the absurd weekend brunch lines at the more popular UWS spots. -
Review from anthony c.
Brooklyn, NY
2/20/2008 2 photos
My family finally made the trip to come visit me in the city this past summer and my itinerary included Times Square, The Museum of Natural History, Central Park and to top it off Cafe Con Leche.
I was looking for something in the area obviously and something different to satisfy my siblings' curious taste buds as well as my mother's picky-ness. The restaurant was very bright and colorful but on the small side, however the servers were very accommodating and quite nice. Unlike typical hispanic food, Cafe Con Leche's menu tends to be light [which is why people are saying it's bland] but they don't skimp on taste and flavor [my mango chicken was great!]
My mother who always finds something to complain about, actually had nothing to complain about. -
Review from Michael W.
New York, NY
1/25/2011
Co-workers rave about this joint. They order from this place at least twice a week. The anticipation is Babel towering. Meh. Maybe there is a difference between lunch and supper. The Picadillo was minced beef with alot of cumin and chili powder, braised in a stock...It was salty. It might of had other flavors, but the biggest booty wins at musical chairs. All hail salt!! The garlic sauce and hot sauce provided a mask...Peppery outweighed the dried stock taste. The rice was fine, but the beans were under cooked. The flavor of the habichuelas (red beans) were commendable. Although Havana Central is more commercial or mainstream, I prefer their beans rice and picadillo. In the meantime, I still haven't found what I am looking for...
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Review from Amy W.
New York, NY
11/16/2006
one word: Tasteless
Summery out of 5
Food: 1
Decor: 2
Service: 3
$ Dirt Cheap to $$$$$ Ridiculously Pricey
Price: Who cares? -
Review from Jeremy D.
Manhattan, NY
8/25/2010
Stopped here on a Saturday evening around 5:30pm.
Service was a bit slow and not the friendliest but also not rude.
Food hit the spot, the Chicken Quesadilla app was excellent and the Chips and Guacamole weren't bad either! The sauces that come on the side can be quite hot so be careful there if you're not big into spicy.
Shared a half-carafe of the Sangria, which was quite potent and very fruity. -
Review from Cathy A.
New York, NY
2/5/2009
As a Cuban raised in Miami, the home of frijoles negros and maduros, I'm always on the lookout for a taste of home, That's how I found Cafe con Leche yesterday for lunch. I was just walking by, on my way to Nice Matin restaurant, when I discovered the "Cuban" joint with the appealing menu. (Note: A real Cuban menu would say "lechon asado" not "pernil asado," for the pork dish, but I took a chance anyway.)
The place smelled like a Miami restaurant -the minute I walked in - a mixture of coffee brewing and bread baking. A good sign.
I ordered a grilled chicken lunch special with black beans and rice. Everything was perfect -- nice Miami-style portions. My significant other loved the Mofongo (not a Cuban dish, BTW) and black beans and rice. He loved it all.
Two negatives were the lousy service and the lack of Materva, an authentic Cuban soda shipped out of Miami.
All in all, I'll go back for a feel and taste of Miami, especially on a cold winter NY day. -
Review from Gisselle E.
Brooklyn, NY
10/18/2011
I came here for brunch and loved the food. I had a virgin pina colada and the french toast...AMAZING!!!! Definetely visiting this place again
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Review from Sara M.
9/25/2008
Their drinks are good (they even come in a pineapple). The service is good. The garlic chicken? Not so good. It's tangy. Like really tangy. Like it makes my jaw tingle... is that normal? The garlic bread is the shizz though. In general I try to avoid coming here but a friend of mine loves it so sometimes it's unavoidable. But the porkchops were good. But when is pork ever not good?
I'm Sarita and I approve this message.Listed in: Food en SAP, The Upper West Side
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Review from Kimberli M.
New York, NY
11/3/2006
Oh the yumminess! I've eatten in and had it delivered. Yum all around!
The pork is always tender and the chicken has such great flavor!
Don't pass up on the apps.
The wine selection in house is decent and affordable.
The staff is always friendly.
